Stevens, who joined the Marines in June 1995 and was serving as a scout sniper, deployed to Iraq with his unit in July, the Marine Corps said.

The U.S. military said last Friday that the group was on a foot patrol near Fallujah. Of the 11 Marines who were injured, seven later returned to duty, it said. The military said the rest of the team was conducting “counterinsurgency operations throughout Fallujah and the surrounding area” to improve security for the Dec. 15 elections.

Sandy Murray was the principal of Tomah High School when Stevens was a student there and remembers him as confidant and determined.

“He knew what he wanted to do — and he did it,” she said.

Murray, now Tomah Elementary School principal, reminisced Saturday evening with Karen Riggs, a Tomah High School social studies teacher who was a guidance counselor then.

She remembered Stevens as a pole vaulter on the track team and a choir member, “He was such a hard worker and so much fun,” Riggs said. “He had such commitment.”

Stevens’ awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, two awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commen-dation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Korean Defense Service Medal, two awards of the National Defense Service Medal, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.